But competition didn't necessarily end up cutting prices, according to the report. One contributing factor is confusion among customers as they try to choose among scores of retail electricity providers and the overwhelming variation of plans, leading many to just stick with familiar companies rather than look for better deals, according to the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power .
Since 2002, Amigo Energy has been one of the best electric companies in Texas. Not only that, but more recently we’ve received far fewer Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC) complaints than most other large residential electricity providers across the state.2 In fact, our customer service gets even better over the phone because our call-in customers have yet to file a PUC complaint this year.3 This ain’t our first rodeo—with over 15 years of experience and a track record of reliable service, you can trust Amigo Energy as your retail electricity provider.
In the Houston area, only 16 percent of CenterPoint Energy’s 2.4 million residential customers — or about one in six — switched their electricity providers over the past year, according to the state’s grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Among the 3.5 million customers of the state’s largest electric distribution utility, Oncor of Dallas, just 13 percent — only one in eight — signed up with a new retail power company in the last 12 months.
Even though customers in deregulated cities routinely pay more for electricity, there is a bright spot. The gap between the average price paid for electricity between deregulated cities like Houston and regulated cities like San Antonio have dwindled to the narrowest point ever to 8.8 percent. Back in 2006, customers in deregulated cities were paying nearly 47 percent more for electricity than their counterparts in regulated cities.

Electric bills for customers in the Houston area can more than double in summer months, mainly because air conditioning. Not coincidentally, electric rates also rise in the summer months because of this increase in demand. The most dramatic rate increases occur in month-to-month plans, but electric rates do increase across the board for all fixed-rate contract lengths.

Whether you live in a large city or small town, we can save you money! Where do we provide Texas electricity? We service customers in more than 400 deregulated communities in Texas. We work with principal utilities throughout the state of Texas to provide prepaid electricity. The utilities are: Oncor in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex and various parts of West Texas; CenterPoint Energy in Houston and the surrounding areas; AEP Central in Corpus Christi and surrounding areas; AEP North in Abilene and other North Texas communities.

Energy sellers must provide collateral to ERCOT to cover expected future costs of buying wholesale electricity and if the companies don’t have enough capital, they get shut down. Breeze Energy, a Dallas-based electricity retailer that sold wind-energy plans to 9,800 customers including many in the Houston area, got caught in that financial squeeze when it defaulted on its collateral obligations.

In summary, fixed-rate plans provide a level of certainty and stability in your energy charge since the price will not fluctuate over the life of your contract. If prices suddenly spike, you are protected because your rate is locked in. The flip side is that if rates drop over the life of your contract, you’ll be stuck paying the higher rate. You can incur steep cancellation fees if you change electricity plans or providers before the end of your contract term.

TXU is high because they charge their customers for the "fuel" to run their power plants - that's what the supervisor told us when we called to complain about my godmother's bill. Her actual usuage was $350 and they charged her an additional $350. And she didn't understand the bill so she had been paying it for months until we started looking at it. They are a rip off. Would never recommend them.
The best electricity company in Houston depends on your energy needs. You might be looking for a provider that has been around for decades or one that has top-rated customer service. Maybe you’re interested in finding a green energy plan and your current Houston electricity provider doesn’t have green option. Below, you'll find information on some of the leading residential retailers in Texas.
Even though customers in deregulated cities routinely pay more for electricity, there is a bright spot. The gap between the average price paid for electricity between deregulated cities like Houston and regulated cities like San Antonio have dwindled to the narrowest point ever to 8.8 percent. Back in 2006, customers in deregulated cities were paying nearly 47 percent more for electricity than their counterparts in regulated cities.

Here are my 2 cents about electric companies when shopping around for the best rates. Currently, the average cents/kWh in Houston is 10 cents, after speaking to a very helpful, very informative Green Mountain Energy representative. Although their rates are a little higher than my current rates, they have FANTASTIC customer service (which is almost worth it). The GME rep even recommended that I stick with what I am using now since it's cheaper.

ElectricityPlans lets you easily compare electricity plans by displaying all-inclusive rates at all advertised usage levels in a simple easy-to-read format. You can easily estimate your actual all-in electric bill at any given usage level using our Plan Details and Pricing section for each plan. All energy charges, delivery fees, bill credits, and other fees for each plan are shown so you can accurately estimate your monthly electric bill. By showing all rates and fees, you’ll avoid the electric bill sticker shock and so-called “teaser rates” commonly used by electric suppliers to achieve better search results on sites such as powertochoose.org.
Then, in 2002, Texas deregulated the electricity market and everybody cheered! Except that, sure, deregulation opened up the market to competition that may (or may not) have resulted in lower rates, but it introduced a whole host of other issues. These issues may not have been factors before but now they’re critical when you’re on the look-out for cheap Houston electricity providers.
Thank you for serving our country as a member of the US Armed Forces! As our way of showing gratitude, our military plans deliver exclusive discounted rates on fixed-rate electricity for your Texas home. And when you join the community of veterans and active-duty military who have signed up with Bounce Energy, you’ll enjoy fantastic customer service, convenient online access to your electricity account, and the ability to be rewarded when you pay your bill on time.

Simply Switch is a trading name of MoneyExpert Limited. MoneyExpert does not give advice on or recommend any particular insurance product or service or whether it is suitable for your personal circumstances. The information provided is to help you to make your own choice about how to proceed. MoneyExpert is an appointed representative of MoneyExpert Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by The Financial Services Authority FRN 557120.

3. Customer service: When the only utility available has lousy customer service, nobody is surprised. They don’t even pretend to care – they know they have you over a barrel. With all these new players in town, however, it’s a slap in the face to be treated like royalty until you’ve signed on the dotted line and now they won’t even return your calls or the person on the phone can’t string three English words together or if he does speak English, he’s brand new and panicking trying to pull up your account information.

No matter who you are, residents and business owners in Texas have to have electricity. Understanding electricity rates in Houston can be overwhelming at first. At SaveOnEnergy.com®, our job is to help you explore your Houston energy options. The more you learn about electric companies in your area, the easier your decision will be when you choose an energy plan.

CenterPoint Energy, a company that offers natural gas in six states and electricity to all of Houston, services the city and greater area. There are various choices for energy providers in Houston, and Choose Energy has partnered with some of the best. Customers have selections among trusted providers such as Reliant Energy, Direct Energy and TriEagle Energy.
Consumers were promised cheaper power when Texas deregulated its electricity markets in 2002 at the urging of big industrial users and power companies. Average retail prices have declined by more than 60 percent since 2001, although much of that decline is due to the plunge in natural gas prices that followed advances in shale drilling and consequently wholesale power prices. Proponents of deregulation argue that they still have choices that can save them money.

At ElectricityPlans, we’re here to do one thing – help you find the best electricity plan to fit your needs. We are big advocates of electricity competition and your power to choose your own electricity provider. We offer completely unbiased electricity plans and display accurate, transparent pricing to take the guesswork out of choosing your electricity plan.

Partha Krishnamurthy, a marketing professor at the University of Houston, said he suspects that many people may be unaware they’re paying more than they need to for electricity, putting their bills on autopay and forgetting about the rates they pay. Most people don’t go to the trouble of changing banks, jobs or their electricity providers, for that matter, unless there are problems.
My True Cost: This website is owned and operated by CenterPoint Energy. When you input your smart meter number, the website can use your usage data to tell you how much your electric bill will be if you picked various plans on its website. CenterPoint charges the Retail Electric Providers if they want to be listed on this site, so there are far fewer plans here than on Power to Choose. When we compared for an inner loop address, there were 83 plans on My True Cost compared to 179 on Power to Choose. You may be missing less expensive plans if you don't look at the state's website also. More info
Your most effective weapon, however, is a site like ComparePower (Power to Choose) to locate and compare details from various Houston electricity resellers. In one fell swoop, you will efficiently and quickly locate and classify cheap electricity resellers all on one page, instead of wasting your valuable time searching out available companies and visiting their websites one by one (who even does that any more?).
If you think you have to pay the rates your current electricity provider charges, we have good news. The state of Texas allows you to choose which electricity provider you use. This means you can select a provider that has the cheapest Texas electric rates in your area and the best plan for your needs, whether you need a better deal for your residence, your business, or both. Thousands of consumers and businesses that have used our electricity rate comparison process agree that, when shopping for commercial electricity or residential electricity rates and plans, Vault Electricity is the one-stop source for the best options from top electric providers.
If you think you have to pay the rates your current electricity provider charges, we have good news. The state of Texas allows you to choose which electricity provider you use. This means you can select a provider that has the cheapest Texas electric rates in your area and the best plan for your needs, whether you need a better deal for your residence, your business, or both. Thousands of consumers and businesses that have used our electricity rate comparison process agree that, when shopping for commercial electricity or residential electricity rates and plans, Vault Electricity is the one-stop source for the best options from top electric providers.
Whether you live in a large city or small town, we can save you money! Where do we provide Texas electricity? We service customers in more than 400 deregulated communities in Texas. We work with principal utilities throughout the state of Texas to provide prepaid electricity. The utilities are: Oncor in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex and various parts of West Texas; CenterPoint Energy in Houston and the surrounding areas; AEP Central in Corpus Christi and surrounding areas; AEP North in Abilene and other North Texas communities.